As part of its attempt to recover from the aftermath of the pandemic, the UK government has given the nod for 160 projects across England. Funding has been approved for these projects, which will not only help build more than 17,000 new homes, but also create19,000 new jobs and save taxpayers £34 million.
About £30 million will be invested in these projects. The funds will be made available through the Land Release Fund (LRF) and the One Public Estate (OPE) programme, which works with almost all the councils in England.
One Public Estate is a national programme run by the Cabinet Office, the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, and the Local Government Association. It has granted about £30m to cross-public sector projects, to facilitate feasibility studies and design work for potential development sites. It will render support to local authorities for effective utilisation of their assets, and free up extra land for new homes and leverage local services.
On the other hand, the LRF will support councils with funds to the tune of £20m, to use and redevelop brownfield sites across England and prepare them for housing. As a result, public-sector sites that remain underutilised will become available for construction of homes, and will indirectly create jobs, better public services and also help taxpayer save a lot of money.
As part of the measures to level up, the UK government will be working on land remediation and infrastructure works, building of libraries, collaboration with local governments, building homes and hospitals, and so on.
